


Worth it

by percywinchester27



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Barista AU, Fluff, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, it is all very cutsie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:14:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25199836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/percywinchester27/pseuds/percywinchester27
Summary: Dean Winchester owns the beloved coffee shop in town, and he loves that his life is predictable, until a certain blue eyed man walks into his shop and his life.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 2
Kudos: 58





	Worth it

If there was one thing that could be said about Dean Winchester with absolute certainty, it was that he loved making his customers happy. If you visited his coffee shop, you left satisfied and appreciated. This was why his little coffee shop was so loved by everyone who visited. The coffee was always good, but so was the morning after being greeted by him.

Dean knew everyone in the little town and everyone knew him. Here, he lived his life with satisfaction and without many surprises. He liked it that way, too.

That was true until on Saturday, 20th of August, when the guy in the Trenchcoat walked in. 

Even if Dean hadn’t immediately known that he was new to this place, the man’s awkward mannerism would have been enough to point it out.

He glanced around the shop and then walked to the counter, holding his hands clumsily at his side, as if he didn’t know what to do with them.

“A coffee to go please?” His voice was deep and low pitched. It was funny that Dean even noticed it, since he was awestruck looking into his deep blue eyes. It was a stunning color. He could take a swim in that, he thought to himself, embarrassed.

“What would you like?” Dean managed, forcing himself to concentrate and not be flustered.

“Just black,” the man smiled nervously. “I don’t know much about all these fancy names.”

Dean controlled his urge to laugh. He personally did believe that the long and ridiculous coffee names sounded better on exotic plants in botanical gardens.

“What name shall I put on the cup?”

“Oh.” The man looked startled to be asked such an obvious question. “Castiel.”

“I’ll be right back with you, sir.” 

Dean decided to get Castiel his favourite bru. Barely anyone asked for it; he just kept it on the pot for himself, to unwind at the end of the day.

“Here you go!” Dean handed him the cup. 

Castiel smiled at him gratefully. “Thank you for not making me go through the hundred options. I’m new here, and this is the first coffee shop I found.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Dean was secretly glad that his shop was at the centre of the town’s main square. 

Castiel waved at him before leaving. 

For the rest of the day Dean found himself humming and smiling for no particular reason.

He looked up expectantly each time the door opened the next day. Each time, when it turned out to be someone other than Castiel, he felt a small pang of disappointment. 

An hour before the closing time, after Dean had given up hopes of ever seeing him again in his life, the bell at the door rang and Castiel stepped in, wet and annoyed at the rain pouring outside.

His face did break into a smile at the sight of Dean, and Dean found himself hoping against hope.

“That had to be the  _ best _ cup of coffee I’ve ever tasted in my life,” Castiel said, running his hands through his wet hair. “What did you put in it?”

There were a _ lot _ of corny things Dean could have said, he settled for just a smile. “If I tell you, you won’t keep coming back here.”

“I don’t think you need to worry about that,” Cas said. “I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.”

Soon the whole town was buzzing about this real estate developer who had come in to scope the place, with his rough voice and ocean eyes; who wanted to turn the town into something altogether new. What better place to exchange gossip than town’s favourite coffee shop?

For most part, Dean didn’t comment on anyone’s opinion, just provided them with a sympathetic ear. From what he had heard so far, the people weren’t exactly opposed to the development. Just wary. And who could blame them for not wanting to trust a stranger after being a closed community for such a long time.

Personally, Dean didn’t believe that Castiel had any intentions of selling the whole town out. He didn’t look the sort. But what did Dean know? Maybe it wasn’t his brain, just his love-struck heart that was constructing all his opinions.

“Here you go,” Dean handed Castiel his coffee to go on his twenty-sixth day. Yes, Dean remembered the number of days. It was all very pathetic.

Castiel grinned at the name. “This says Cas on it!”

“You don’t like it?” Dean asked, scratching the back of his neck.

“It’s nothing like that,” he said. “I’ve just never had anyone call me that.”

That was weird. What sort of people had he surrounded himself with, who couldn’t catch the obvious nickname?

“You can call me, Cas, though,” he said quickly. “I like it.”

“Alright, then Cas,” Dean said, smirking slowly. “You have a good day.”

Cas waved and headed out the door.

“What was that?”

It was Charlie. One of Dean’s regulars at the shop and his closest friend outside of it.

“Nothing,” he muttered, turning away so she wouldn’t spot the blood rising up to his cheeks. “We were just chatting.”

“That’s not chatting,” she wiggled her eyebrows. “Where I come from, it’s called  _ flirting _ .”

“I don’t even know if he’s interested,” Dean huffed. No point keeping it from her. She would sniff out the barely concealed crush anyway.

Charlie reached out to ruffle his hair. “And you won’t if you don’t ask.”

Later that night, Dean was cleaning up after the last customer had left, when Cas came in. His hair was dishevelled, as if he had run his fingers through it repeatedly and his shirt was unbuttoned at the top. It quickened Dean’s heartbeat to look at him.

“Are you closed? I’m so sorry for coming in this late.” He looked dejected. “But I didn't know where else to go.”

“C’mon in,” Dean said, sliding a chair towards him. “Is everything okay?”

Cas bit his lip. “I don’t know what I’m doing,” he said, agitated. “I don’t think any of my ideas are welcome here. The town folks don’t even want to listen to me. Maybe I should just give up.”

“That’s just plain stupid.”

Cas looked up, eyes startled. 

“Look,” Dean said. “I’ve lived here all my life. Sure the people are stubborn as hell, but they aren’t idiots. They’ll see a good scheme if you keep at it. Are you trying to dupe them?”

The shocked look on Cas’s face was almost comical. “God, no. I would never.”

“Then you just have to convince them that.”

Dean wasn’t sure if he was making any headway with this handsome man. Cas’s eyes were like an open book and they didn’t look very convinced right now.

“This is a small town,” Dean tried. “These guys have all grown up together. They might have a hard time accepting outsiders, but give them time, they’ll come around.”

“You really think so?” The hope in his voice was almost desperate.

“Sure do.”

Cas placed his hand over Dean’s. “Thank you, truly.”

Dean could barely string the words together without fumbling over the contact of their fingers. “Don’t mention it, man.”

He watched over the next few weeks as town folk were slowly intrigued and then interested in Cas’s plan. He wasn’t out to demolish their houses and heritage like they had initially thought he was. In fact, the new town planning scheme would ensure more income and profit for everyone, including a small residential settlement in a property that was otherwise completely wasted.

In about a month's time, Cas had suddenly become everyone’s favourite. Dean was happy for him, of course, but it did put a damper on his plans to ask him out. Afterall, Cas had better company now and he was busier than before. 

“You’re going to be a mooning single man forever if you keep this shit up.” Charlie put her hands up. “I’m just saying.”

Dean sighed. “It’s not the right time.”

“There’s no such thing,” she retaliated, picking up her latte. “And you’re just stalling at this point.”

No, I’m not, Dean wanted to say. He didn’t, though.

“All I’m saying is- if you saw the way he looked at you when you weren’t looking…” Charlie blew him a kiss and left for a table.

Cas was bright eyed today as he stepped forward for his drink and Dean’s heart skipped a beat. “The usual?” he asked.

“Yeah… Dean, wait a second.” Cas made sure that he wasn’t holding up the line. “I wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”

What?

“You’ve been the only friend I had here. Listening to me and giving me advice.”

“You don’t have to thank me for it.” He really did have the most beautiful eyes.

“It’s not just that.... Dean?”

Dean looked up. “Yeah?”

Cas seemed to hesitate. “It’s nothing…”

Dean poured the brew in the cup and put on the lid. There was a slight tremble to his fingers and a ‘now or never’ feeling in his gut as he clutched the sharpie.

“Thank you!” Cas said, taking the cup, a regretful smile on his face.

Dean followed Cas’s figure with eager eyes, when Cas stopped at the door. He turned slowly on the spot, then stared at Dean with wide eyes.

“Do you really mean this?” He asked, holding out the cup. 

Instead of his name, the side of the cup read, “Will you go out with me?”

Dean’s heart was pounding against his ribs. “I do.”

“Yes, yes!” Cas exulted a bit wildly, “I’ve been meaning to ask since day one. I just didn’t know you were interested.”

“It translates into- both of you are really dumb,” Charlie supplied. There was a loud cheer from everyone present and Dean looked around surprised. 

“We’ve been waiting for this for weeks!” Said another regular. When Dean eyed her, she jabbed him in the arm. “Everyone but the two of you knew.”

There was a lot of blushing and a hurried, ‘I’ll see you in the evening’ from Cas, before he left, forgetting his coffee altogether. As for Dean, he had never waited for an evening with so much eagerness.

The next morning, waking up in Cas’s arms, he would know that he had all been worth it.


End file.
